The “bride kidnapping challenge” is a traditional Chinese wedding custom. The bride’s family sets challenges for the groom and his party to complete, and if they fail, the groom can’t take the bride home.
Different regions have their own versions, but sometimes these challenges get taken too far, making things difficult for the groom and disrupting the wedding rituals.
Recently, a video showing a groom in China being put through a tough challenge by the bride’s family caught attention on social media.
On the wedding day, the groom and his party happily arrived at the bride’s house for the important ceremony. But things quickly took a harsh turn when the groom saw the challenge set by the bride’s family.
The steps leading to the bride’s door were lined with red carpet and two rows of tiles. Right away, the groom realized this wedding procession was going to be tough.
The bride’s family demanded the groom kneel on the two rows of tiles and break them using the strength of his knees. Each step had two tiles, and the groom had to break all of them by kneeling before he could take the bride home.
The groom was furious at this challenge, feeling that the bride’s family was disrespecting him on his big day. Kneeling in front of so many people and becoming a laughingstock was something he couldn’t accept.
Though upset, he didn’t want to cause a scene or miss the lucky wedding time, so he reluctantly agreed to the challenge.
The groom knelt on the tiles but couldn’t break them at first. Encouraged by everyone, he gritted his teeth and used more force. Eventually, the tiles shattered. His knees hurt so badly he could barely stand, his legs trembling as others had to help him walk.
The wedding procession was successful, but that day likely became a painful memory the groom won’t forget.
After the video went viral, netizens criticized the bride’s family for being cruel and making things hard for the future son-in-law.
“The groom isn’t even that big, so why such a harsh challenge? The bride’s family is really mean!”
“A little fun is fine, but this is just too much. Traditions have limits. Making things hard like this just turns into outdated customs people reject.”
“Challenges should be fun! While some are meant to show the groom’s love for the bride, this extreme demand just backfires.”
(Source: 163)
